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Cain & Abel · The Chosen People

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: This is an iHeart Podcast.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: Guaranteed human.
• 0:04
  Speaker 3: Previously on The Chosen People.
• 0:07
  Speaker 4: This is the tree of life. Its fruit is a gift.
• 0:13
  Speaker 4: A gift to be cherished forever. It is the life
• 0:17
  Speaker 4: I offer you. A life of unity with me.
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  Speaker 2: It's beautiful.
• 0:26
  Speaker 4: This is the tree of knowledge. the knowledge of good
• 0:32
  Speaker 4: and evil. You may eat of every tree in this garden,
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  Speaker 4: but the tree of knowledge of good and evil you
• 0:42
  Speaker 4: shall not eat.
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  Speaker 2: What will happen if I do?
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  Speaker 4: Knowledge of good and evil, which leads to evil itself,
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  Speaker 4: while the tree of life brings eternal life, the knowledge
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  Speaker 4: of evil brings... Death.
• 1:03
  Speaker 5: Die?
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  Speaker 6: Oh, my.
• 1:06
  Speaker 7: Dear.
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  Speaker 6: You won't die. Do I look dead to you? God
• 1:13
  Speaker 6: doesn't want you to eat it. Because if you do,
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  Speaker 6: your eyes will be opened.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe it was a lie after all.
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: We could be like God.
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  Speaker 3: Eve stroked the fruit. Adam was frozen. He knew he
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  Speaker 3: should stop Eve. He knew he should smack it out
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  Speaker 3: of her hand. But he was drawn by a similar curiosity.
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  Speaker 3: Could he really be like God? They had been deceived
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  Speaker 3: into thinking God was holding back from them. And perhaps
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  Speaker 3: something better awaited them if they separated themselves from him.
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  Speaker 4: Adam... I called you to cultivate and steward the earth,
• 2:03
  Speaker 4: but now it shall be cursed because of you. The
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  Speaker 4: earth will struggle against you. You will eat of the
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  Speaker 4: earth through sweat and pain all the days of your life.
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  Speaker 4: You will wilt against the stones. Thorns and thistles will
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  Speaker 4: scrape your hands. This pain will remind you of the
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  Speaker 4: paradise you rejected. Then, after a lifetime of struggle, you
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  Speaker 4: will return to the dust of the earth. For from
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  Speaker 4: the dust I made you, and to the dust you
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  Speaker 4: shall return.
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  Speaker 5: What do we do now? Where should we go?
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  Speaker 2: What is there beyond Eden?
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  Speaker 3: The cave was dark, only slightly lit by the nearby firelight.
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  Speaker 3: Eve's quiet and determined breaths echoed through the night. Beads
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  Speaker 3: of sweat like pearls descended her brow. Adam knelt beside
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  Speaker 3: Eve as her hands and knees pressed against the floor.
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  Speaker 5: Is this death?
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  Speaker 1: Is this the curse God spoke of?
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  Speaker 2: No, Eve. I don't think this is death. I think
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  Speaker 2: this is life.
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  Speaker 3: With that final encouragement, Eve let out a groan. Shadows
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: danced on the cave walls. The sound of Eve struggling
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: was replaced with the cries of a newborn baby, the
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  Speaker 3: first child born east of Eden. Adam wrapped him in
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  Speaker 3: his arms and wiped him with woven wool. He held
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  Speaker 3: him closely, looking him deeply in the eyes. The boy
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  Speaker 3: glowed with promise.
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  Speaker 2: We'll have to give him a name, just like the
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  Speaker 2: Lord named me.
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: Eve rolled onto her back and reached for her son.
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  Speaker 3: Adam rested him in her arms. She cradled him and
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  Speaker 3: stroked his face. She remembered the promise made by God
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  Speaker 3: before their exile. He promised that through her line, a
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  Speaker 3: hero would rise to crush the serpent's head and restore Eden.
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  Speaker 1: You little one you are our great hope in this
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  Speaker 1: broken world your name shall be Cain through you I
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  Speaker 1: have received help from the Lord you are the promised
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  Speaker 1: child the one who will deliver us.
• 4:39
  Speaker 3: She pressed Cain against her chest which quivered with tears
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  Speaker 3: of grief joy and relief Cain was the answer to
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: all her questions His breath rose in tandem with hers.
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: The euphoria of birth and new life swelled within her.
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  Speaker 3: Her mind's eye was filled with visions of Cain's rise.
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: Days rolled into months which passed into years. Daily, Adam
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  Speaker 3: walked with Cain in the morning mist, as the Creator
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  Speaker 3: once did with him. He scooped up some soft earth
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  Speaker 3: and held it in his palm.
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  Speaker 2: I wasn't born like you, Cain. I was crafted from
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  Speaker 2: the ground, and God gave me the ground to tend to.
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  Speaker 3: Adam let the dirt fall out of his palm. He
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  Speaker 3: sighed and wiped his hands. He pointed to the river
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  Speaker 3: and traced an invisible line upstream. It led up to
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  Speaker 3: a great mountain, its peak hidden by clouds in the
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  Speaker 3: light of dawn.
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  Speaker 2: We didn't always sweat and bleed, Cain. We were once
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  Speaker 2: on that holy hill, surrounded by plants that bloomed without labor.
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  Speaker 2: We were one with God, blessed. I wish you could
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  Speaker 2: have seen it. Perhaps you'll know one day what it
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  Speaker 2: means to be blessed by God.
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  Speaker 3: Cain looked up at the mountain. A sense of destiny
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  Speaker 3: came over him. He felt chosen, handpicked to receive something
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  Speaker 3: great from God. Cain held that belief close to his heart.
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  Speaker 7: The moon and.
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  Speaker 3: Stars shifted in the skies. The heavens were untouched by tragedy,
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  Speaker 3: untainted by the sins of man. Adam and Eve often
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  Speaker 3: looked up at them, dreaming about what life would have
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  Speaker 3: been like if they had never eaten of the tree.
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  Speaker 3: Eve touched her pregnant belly and leaned her head against
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  Speaker 3: Adam's shoulder. They were days away from having their second child.
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  Speaker 2: What's going to happen to them, Adam?
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  Speaker 1: What will happen to them when we're gone? What if
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  Speaker 1: we die before they can take care of themselves?
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  Speaker 3: Worry overcame Eve. It was a part of the curse.
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  Speaker 3: Cultivating a family was her greatest blessing and heaviest burden,
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  Speaker 3: marked with euphoric highs and anxious lows. She pursed her lips,
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  Speaker 3: gaze stretching into the horizons. The stars were vast and unsearchable,
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  Speaker 3: just like their fate.
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  Speaker 1: Will they survive this world?
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  Speaker 8: No, they won't. Sooner or later, we will all return
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  Speaker 8: to the dust. I just pray they get to taste
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  Speaker 8: the goodness of life before the inevitable bitterness of death.
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  Speaker 2: Is there any goodness? Yes.
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  Speaker 1: Has the Creator reserved any blessing for us this side
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  Speaker 1: of Eden?
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  Speaker 3: Adam looked forward at the plains dimly lit by the
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  Speaker 3: twinkling lights. He wrapped his arms around Eve. Adam wished
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  Speaker 3: he had words to comfort Eve. He longed to ascend
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  Speaker 3: the hills of Eden again and reclaim unity with God.
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  Speaker 3: Not just for him, but for his family. But he couldn't.
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  Speaker 3: No matter how desperately he longed for the Tree of Life,
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  Speaker 3: it was gone. Guarded by judgment.
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  Speaker 9: I've been thinking a lot about that day. The day
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  Speaker 9: we left the garden. I was thinking about how God
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  Speaker 9: covered us with animal skins. He didn't have to take
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  Speaker 9: care of us, but he did. He didn't have to
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  Speaker 9: protect us, but he chose to. He's protected us since
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  Speaker 9: that day, and maybe.
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  Speaker 3: Adam stopped and looked at Eve. He pressed his hand
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  Speaker 3: against her pregnant belly. His mind warred with itself. He
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  Speaker 3: was oscillating between faith in God and fear for the future.
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  Speaker 2: Maybe God will cover our children, too.
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  Speaker 3: He looked back up. The galaxies stretched over the horizon.
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  Speaker 3: Adam was still struggling with who God was and who
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  Speaker 3: he was this side of Eden. Since unity was severed
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  Speaker 3: in the garden, Understanding God had been a struggle. He
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  Speaker 3: was a captivating mystery. Yet, even though they no longer
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  Speaker 3: walked with him in the cool of the garden, God
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  Speaker 3: felt close during moments like these.
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  Speaker 2: I don't feel him like I once did. But I
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  Speaker 2: know he's still here. Tomorrow, I'm going to kill an
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  Speaker 2: animal for God. Just like he killed one for us.
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  Speaker 2: I will give him something precious again. something we need
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  Speaker 2: to survive, I will show God that I understand what
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  Speaker 2: he did for us and what he can still do
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  Speaker 2: for us. Maybe that will be how we can connect
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  Speaker 2: with him again. We put our well-being and our future
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  Speaker 2: in his hands. We'll declare trust in him, even though
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  Speaker 2: we only understand him in part.
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  Speaker 1: Teach our children to do the same. Tell them our story.
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  Speaker 3: The following day, Adam marched up a mountain. The frigid
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  Speaker 3: breeze cut his cheeks. He shivered at its summit and
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  Speaker 3: laid a sacrifice on the ground. He gave him precious
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  Speaker 3: resources of harvested crops and a spotless lamb from his flock,
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  Speaker 3: things they needed to survive. It was a declaration of trust,
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  Speaker 3: an acknowledgement that their lives were in his hands. It
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  Speaker 3: was also a peace offering to reclaim the unity lost
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  Speaker 3: in Eden. Days later, Eve felt the pangs of childbirth
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  Speaker 3: again to bring forth her second-born son. Adam held him
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  Speaker 3: in the air, his heart fluttered in his chest. Although
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  Speaker 3: Adam had lost much in his short life, he felt
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  Speaker 3: he was finally discovering what it meant to be human.
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  Speaker 3: Adam beamed with delight, feeling a sense of purpose. Although
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  Speaker 3: life had its struggles, it also had beauty. Just because
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  Speaker 3: the land was harsh and sin was present didn't mean
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  Speaker 3: there weren't pockets of paradise, slivers of Eden.
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  Speaker 2: We are multiplying, Lord. Just as you asked.
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  Speaker 1: I'm going to name you Abel.
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  Speaker 7: Breath.
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  Speaker 1: Fleeting, but filled with energy. Just like this beautifully tragic
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  Speaker 1: life we live.
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  Speaker 3: Cain and Abel grew strong under their parents' care. Adam
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  Speaker 3: taught Cain how to till the land and the reason
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  Speaker 3: for his struggle. He also taught Cain how to war
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  Speaker 3: and cooperate with the earth to make it yield crops.
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  Speaker 3: Abel was taught how to tend to the livestock. Adam
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  Speaker 3: showed Abel how to care for the sheep with dignity
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  Speaker 3: as fellow creatures. Most importantly, Adam taught his sons how
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  Speaker 3: to sacrifice to the Lord.
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  Speaker 2: One day you will make your offerings to the You
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  Speaker 2: will join us in our mission to reclaim our relationship
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  Speaker 2: with the Creator.
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  Speaker 3: When the boys became men, it became time to march
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  Speaker 3: up the mountain and make offerings to the Lord. Both
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  Speaker 3: prepared in their own way, crafting offerings with the skills
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  Speaker 3: they had acquired from their parents. Cain scanned the crops.
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  Speaker 3: He had done his best to master the land in
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  Speaker 3: a way that flourished. Cain tied up some grains and
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  Speaker 3: leafy vegetables he'd grown at the mountain's base. He plucked
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  Speaker 3: berries from the trestles he built near their camp.
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  Speaker 7: Just a few more and we're done.
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  Speaker 3: As Cain knelt in the dirt, a shadow emerged from behind.
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  Speaker 3: It approached slowly, ready to pounce. Cain turned suddenly, but
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  Speaker 3: it was too late. He was tackled to the ground.
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  Speaker 3: The taste of dirt filled Cain's mouth.
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  Speaker 5: He rolled onto his.
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  Speaker 3: Back, only to see his younger brother's friendly bare face.
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  Speaker 2: Ha! Gotcha!
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  Speaker 5: Sneaking up from behind, eh? It's a dirty trick. Try
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  Speaker 5: and face me like a man.
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  Speaker 3: Abel playfully wrapped his arms around his big brother's shoulders.
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  Speaker 3: Cain scoffed and tossed Abel into the ground. They wrestled
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  Speaker 3: in the dirt until Cain pinned him down. He pressed
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  Speaker 3: his elbow against Abel's collarbone.
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  Speaker 5: Nice try, little lamb.
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  Speaker 10: How are you going to protect yourself and the flock
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  Speaker 10: from wolves if you can't even pin me from behind?
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  Speaker 3: The sheep have me to protect them, but I have you.
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  Speaker 3: Cain smiled, ruffled Abel's hair, and pushed him away. Brotherly
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  Speaker 3: affection creased on the sides of Abel's eyes as he
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  Speaker 3: looked up at his older brother. Cain shooed him off.
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  Speaker 5: Get out of here so I can finish my offerings.
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  Speaker 3: What are you bringing to the mountain?
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  Speaker 5: Grains, berries, and other crops.
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  Speaker 3: Cain bound some grains with twine and added some flowers
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  Speaker 3: he'd grown nearby. Abel looked to the hills and furrowed
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  Speaker 3: his brow. With sincerity in his voice, he mused about God.
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  Speaker 2: I hope the Creator accepts our offerings. I want him
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  Speaker 2: to know my heart. He deserves the best.
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  Speaker 10: The way I see it, all right. Sacrificing is a
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  Speaker 10: lot like farming. You till the land, Plant the seed,
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  Speaker 10: you'll yield a good crop. If I give an offering
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  Speaker 10: to God, then he'll bless me. I mean, if I
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  Speaker 10: give to him, then he gives me something in return.
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  Speaker 2: I'm not sure that's how it works.
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  Speaker 10: Well, that's because you're not a farmer. You play with
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  Speaker 10: sheep all day.
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  Speaker 3: Cain lifted his offering onto his shoulders, waved dismissively to
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  Speaker 3: his brother, and began ascending the hill. Cain was a farmer.
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  Speaker 3: But he was less concerned about the art of cultivation
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  Speaker 3: and more concerned with the input-output relationship of harvesting. He
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  Speaker 3: put in the work and the land gave him crops.
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  Speaker 3: He saw his sacrifice to God in a similar manner.
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  Speaker 7: I will give an offering and God will give me
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  Speaker 7: a blessing.
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  Speaker 2: It's my birthright.
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  Speaker 3: Cain summited the hill where an altar of stone rested
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  Speaker 3: at the peak. The wind whistled above. Cain pulled his
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  Speaker 3: hair back and smiled. He was prepared to receive God's blessing.
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  Speaker 3: He was ready to step into his destiny as God's
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  Speaker 3: chosen hero. He stepped back, knelt on the ground, and waited.
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  Speaker 3: He stared at the offering. Then, up at the sky.
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  Speaker 11: Nothing.
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  Speaker 3: Just the silence, along with the high-pitched whistle of the wind.
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  Speaker 2: Where are you?
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  Speaker 3: Cain was unsure what he was looking for, but knew
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  Speaker 3: he would know when he saw it. There was only silence.
• 16:05
  Speaker 3: Cain waited even longer, wondering what had gone wrong. Cain
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: stood to his feet, frustrated and confused.
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  Speaker 5: I've done what you've asked. I put in the work.
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  Speaker 5: I gave you what you needed. Where are you?
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  Speaker 3: Still, there was only silence. No lightning flashed from the heavens.
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  Speaker 3: No voice bellowing with the wind. just the sound of
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  Speaker 3: the whistling peaks and the frustrated breaths rising from Cain's lungs.
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  Speaker 3: He dragged his feet down a small path and sat
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: on a stone. He waited for something, anything to happen.
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  Speaker 3: As Cain waited, he heard the faint bleating of a
• 16:44
  Speaker 3: lamb in the distance. He looked back to see Abel
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  Speaker 3: scaling up the hill, cradling the firstborn of his flock.
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  Speaker 3: A dagger swung back and forth on his side. Cain
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  Speaker 3: observed the sorrow on Abel's face. His eyes were foggy
• 17:00
  Speaker 3: with tears as he petted the lamb in his arms.
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  Speaker 2: It's okay, little one.
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  Speaker 4: Always so sensitive.
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  Speaker 7: He is too soft for this world.
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  Speaker 3: Tears rolled down Abel's face as he placed the newborn
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  Speaker 3: lamb on the altar. He stroked its head and sang
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  Speaker 3: it a lullaby. His singing mixed with the gentle hiss
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  Speaker 3: of the wind. Abel loved every one of his sheep.
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  Speaker 3: He had a tender heart and understood the value of life.
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  Speaker 3: Abel brought the firstborn of his flock, the best of
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  Speaker 3: what he had. It was an act of pure faith,
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  Speaker 3: faith in the future and God's power to provide. To Abel,
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  Speaker 3: God was worthy of the first fruits.
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  Speaker 4: Lord, please accept this gift.
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  Speaker 5: It's the best of what I have.
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  Speaker 2: Search me and know my heart.
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  Speaker 3: With a shaking hand, Abel raised his blade. The lullaby
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  Speaker 3: leaked out of his quivering lips. Then, with a trembling
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  Speaker 3: hand and final cry, he drove the blade down into
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  Speaker 3: the lamb's throat. It didn't make a sound. Abel let
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  Speaker 3: it bleed onto the altar and sobbed. He offered the
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  Speaker 3: best parts of the lamb to God and burned them.
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  Speaker 3: He sang a song silently as the embers crackled and
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  Speaker 3: smoke slowly rose. Abel's faith was as pure as the
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  Speaker 3: lamb's fleece. Cain watched from a distance and waited for
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  Speaker 3: something to happen. He waited for God to move. That's
• 18:35
  Speaker 3: when something changed in the air. An indescribable shift occurred
• 18:40
  Speaker 3: in the atmosphere around Abel. The wind's chill ceased and
• 18:44
  Speaker 3: the sun's warmth rested gently upon him. On that hill,
• 18:49
  Speaker 3: it seemed like a sliver of Eden was reclaimed. Cain's
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  Speaker 3: eyes widened as he realized that God's favor was upon Abel,
• 18:57
  Speaker 3: the younger brother, the soft shepherd. Abel, not Cain. Abel
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  Speaker 3: looked up. The sun's rays seemed to dance around him,
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  Speaker 3: drying the tears from his face. His brows curved upward,
• 19:13
  Speaker 3: and a peaceful smile stretched across his smooth cheeks. He
• 19:18
  Speaker 3: closed his eyes, feeling the euphoria of God's acceptance rush
• 19:22
  Speaker 3: upon him. Abel rose and descended the mountain. He was
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  Speaker 3: surrounded by a holy glow of God's love and affirmation.
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  Speaker 3: Abel's joy was like a trickling stream falling from the hills.
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  Speaker 3: Cain emerged from his hiding place with his mouth agape.
• 19:41
  Speaker 3: His jaw tightened in annoyance. Undoubtedly, God had just accepted
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  Speaker 3: Abel's sacrifice above Cain's.
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  Speaker 11: Him? You chose him? He isn't the one you're supposed
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  Speaker 11: to choose.
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  Speaker 5: I'm Cain. I'm the firstborn son of Eve. I deserve more.
• 20:06
  Speaker 5: That weakling doesn't know his left hand from his right hand.
• 20:10
  Speaker 11: Bleeding lamb in a world of wolves.
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  Speaker 3: Cain's frustrated prayers rose to heaven, but swiftly fell to
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  Speaker 3: the floor, weighed down by entitlement and pride. He skulked
• 20:24
  Speaker 3: to the altar and looked at the remaining coals. With
• 20:27
  Speaker 3: a vexed swipe of his hand, he struck the coals.
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  Speaker 3: They fell to the floor. Cain watched their light fade.
• 20:35
  Speaker 3: The black coals remained there, He turned his gaze from
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  Speaker 3: the altar and looked toward the bottom of the hill.
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  Speaker 3: He saw Abel run into his parents' tent to tell
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  Speaker 3: them what had happened. Seeing his brother's joy ignited jealous
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  Speaker 3: resentment within him. Cain didn't realize it, but something sinister
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  Speaker 3: was slithering from the reeds into his heart. Weeks passed,
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  Speaker 3: and it became clear that God's hand was on Abel.
• 21:07
  Speaker 3: His flocks multiplied and his strength increased. As Abel's prominence increased,
• 21:13
  Speaker 3: so did Cain's jealousy. His bitterness was a poison, slowly
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  Speaker 3: eroding his heart. Whenever a crop didn't yield or a
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  Speaker 3: thorn cut his hand, Cain thought about how God had
• 21:25
  Speaker 3: blessed Abel. Cain began to compare every inconvenience and struggle
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  Speaker 3: with Abel's successes. To Cain, each ounce of favor given
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: to his younger brother, was a slight against him.
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  Speaker 7: That should have been me. I was the chosen one.
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  Speaker 7: It was my blessing, my reward. You stole it from me.
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  Speaker 3: His entire body vibrated with contempt. But Cain's hatred wasn't
• 21:58
  Speaker 3: against Abel. No, Abel was just the recipient of the blessing.
• 22:03
  Speaker 3: God was the source, and therefore the withholder. Cain's ire
• 22:09
  Speaker 3: was directed upward. He blamed the Creator. He wanted revenge,
• 22:14
  Speaker 3: but how would he get it? Cain sat by the fire,
• 22:18
  Speaker 3: lost in a whirlpool of inner rage and conspiring, passively
• 22:23
  Speaker 3: listening to his father muse more poetic praise for Abel.
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: Your flock has expanded further than our eyes can see.
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: You see what's happening, Abel?
• 22:34
  Speaker 5: God is blessing your work. This is what we're meant
• 22:38
  Speaker 5: to do.
• 22:39
  Speaker 3: It was a record month for Abel's flock. The entire
• 22:43
  Speaker 3: family laughed and sang by the fire, joy rising alongside
• 22:47
  Speaker 3: the smell of smoked meats and freshly baked grains. Cain
• 22:52
  Speaker 3: wasn't amused. He stormed off to a solitary place. He
• 22:56
  Speaker 3: paced around in the darkness, kicking dirt and punching the air.
• 23:01
  Speaker 3: He slammed his fist against a cold stone and shouted
• 23:05
  Speaker 3: into the night.
• 23:06
  Speaker 4: Blessed Abel.
• 23:08
  Speaker 5: Faithful Abel. Fruitful Abel.
• 23:11
  Speaker 2: He is a fool.
• 23:13
  Speaker 5: Nobody sees it but me.
• 23:16
  Speaker 4: Cain, why are you so angry? Why has your face fallen?
• 23:24
  Speaker 5: Oh, now you speak. Why now, oh creator? Why break
• 23:28
  Speaker 5: the silence with such a stupid question?
• 23:32
  Speaker 4: Your anger is misplaced, Cain. If you do well, will
• 23:37
  Speaker 4: you not also be accepted like your brother?
• 23:41
  Speaker 5: If I do well? If I... Oh, boy.
• 23:46
  Speaker 11: If.
• 23:47
  Speaker 5: Okay. I did what I was asked. I made an offering.
• 23:52
  Speaker 11: And you didn't hold up your end of the bargain. Instead,
• 23:57
  Speaker 11: you chose to bless that.
• 24:01
  Speaker 5: Whimpering? Soft fool!
• 24:05
  Speaker 4: Listen to yourself, Cain. Your words revealed your heart.
• 24:11
  Speaker 11: My words are true, and you know it. I deserve
• 24:16
  Speaker 11: that blessing. It was me you should have chosen, not
• 24:20
  Speaker 11: that blubbering shepherd.
• 24:22
  Speaker 4: Be warned, Cain. Sin is crouching at the threshold of
• 24:28
  Speaker 4: your heart. It desires to destroy you. It prowls at
• 24:33
  Speaker 4: the borders of your soul, waiting for a moment to strike.
• 24:37
  Speaker 4: But you can overcome it.
• 24:40
  Speaker 5: Why should I listen to you? What good has that
• 24:43
  Speaker 5: ever done me?
• 24:44
  Speaker 3: Cain stormed down the hill, determined to leave a distance
• 24:48
  Speaker 3: between him and the Creator. God's word wasn't a comfort
• 24:51
  Speaker 3: to Cain, but salt to his wounded pride. The further
• 24:55
  Speaker 3: he walked, the darker his heart became. Rage against God
• 25:00
  Speaker 3: went from a low simmer to a violent boom.
• 25:04
  Speaker 7: You accept labor's blood, I'm afraid.
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: If it's blood you want, then it is blood you
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: will get.
• 25:13
  Speaker 3: The air was thin and freezing. Clouds rolled in from
• 25:17
  Speaker 3: the east, blocking out the sun's warmth. Cain's breath rose
• 25:21
  Speaker 3: like a specter in the chilly air. He paced at
• 25:25
  Speaker 3: the pasture's edge like a wolf, stalking, waiting. He remained
• 25:30
  Speaker 3: there all day in the shadows, watching Abel. Corruption coiled
• 25:35
  Speaker 3: around his heart like the serpent. It squeezed, choking the
• 25:39
  Speaker 3: humanity out of him. The sun began to set against
• 25:43
  Speaker 3: the dark clouds, causing a crimson hue to splash over
• 25:47
  Speaker 3: the horizon. Sin was hungry for Cain's soul. It hovered
• 25:52
  Speaker 3: over him, jaws wide open and ready to strike. The
• 25:56
  Speaker 3: creator's warnings echoed in his mind.
• 25:59
  Speaker 4: Sin is crouching at the threshold of your heart. It
• 26:03
  Speaker 4: desires to destroy you, but you can overcome it.
• 26:08
  Speaker 3: Cain wouldn't listen.
• 26:10
  Speaker 4: He refused.
• 26:11
  Speaker 3: He knelt and dug his fingers into the cold, damp earth.
• 26:15
  Speaker 3: From it, he drew out a stone the size of
• 26:18
  Speaker 3: his palm. His father was hewn from the dirt, and
• 26:22
  Speaker 3: from it, a tool for death was taken. Abel knelt
• 26:27
  Speaker 3: beside his sheep. He tended to one of the lambs,
• 26:30
  Speaker 3: picking out some brambles. As he knelt, a shadow approached
• 26:34
  Speaker 3: from behind. It crept slowly, ready to pounce. Abel turned,
• 26:40
  Speaker 3: but it was too late. He was tackled to the ground.
• 26:45
  Speaker 3: Abel laughed at first, thinking it was another game. But
• 26:48
  Speaker 3: Cain's grip hardened against Abel's shoulder and pressed him violently
• 26:52
  Speaker 3: against the ground. Abel winced in pain and struggled to
• 26:56
  Speaker 3: get free.
• 26:58
  Speaker 5: Okay, okay, you pinned me.
• 27:00
  Speaker 2: Now get off!
• 27:02
  Speaker 3: Abel's eyes widened as he saw Cain lift a stone
• 27:05
  Speaker 3: high in the air to strike him. Abel panicked and
• 27:08
  Speaker 3: kicked his brother off. He turned to run, but Cain
• 27:11
  Speaker 3: bounced back up and hit his brother on the temple,
• 27:14
  Speaker 3: sending him flying onto the floor. Abel scurried backward with
• 27:18
  Speaker 3: his arm up to Cain.
• 27:20
  Speaker 5: Stop! What are you doing? Getting my revenge.
• 27:25
  Speaker 4: Revenge?
• 27:26
  Speaker 11: For what? What?
• 27:28
  Speaker 5: Cain, what did I do? Oh, no, no, no. Not you,
• 27:33
  Speaker 5: baby brother. This isn't for you.
• 27:36
  Speaker 3: Cain lunged forward at Abel and struck him again with
• 27:40
  Speaker 3: the stone. Abel's face fell into the dirt. Cain turned
• 27:44
  Speaker 3: him around and continued to attack.
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: Please stop.
• 27:48
  Speaker 5: Blessed are you now, Abel. Do you still feel blessed?
• 27:54
  Speaker 2: No.
• 27:55
  Speaker 5: Where is your God now?
• 27:58
  Speaker 3: His anger wasn't directed toward Abel. It was directed at
• 28:02
  Speaker 3: the Creator. Blow after blow came through spite at God
• 28:08
  Speaker 3: by striking his innocent brother. When Abel was too weak
• 28:12
  Speaker 3: to struggle... Cain pressed his thumbs against his throat and finished.
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: What he started.
• 28:18
  Speaker 3: The breath of life left Abel with a strained sigh.
• 28:24
  Speaker 3: The first death. Cain removed his hands, rolled his neck
• 28:29
  Speaker 3: back and exhaled quietly. He dared not look up at heaven,
• 28:34
  Speaker 3: but he dared not look down at his slain brother either.
• 28:37
  Speaker 3: Cain couldn't face the creator of life, nor could he
• 28:41
  Speaker 3: look down at the life he had taken. He was
• 28:44
  Speaker 3: suspended in a space between heaven and hell. Cain stood
• 28:48
  Speaker 3: up and dug into the earth. He buried his brother
• 28:52
  Speaker 3: in the field.
• 28:56
  Speaker 7: From the dust we are taken, and to the dust
• 29:00
  Speaker 7: we shall return.
• 29:02
  Speaker 3: Cain stormed back to his tent. Abel was dead, but
• 29:07
  Speaker 3: his blood cried out from the ground, reaching the ears
• 29:10
  Speaker 3: of the Almighty. The following day, Cain tilled his field silently.
• 29:17
  Speaker 3: Abel was buried only yards away from him. Echoes of
• 29:20
  Speaker 3: his terrified screams reverberated in his mind. Cain pushed the
• 29:25
  Speaker 3: guilt down. He buried it, just like he did to
• 29:29
  Speaker 3: his brother. Then, cutting through the silence, God spoke.
• 29:35
  Speaker 4: Cain, where is your brother?
• 29:39
  Speaker 3: God's question. mirrored the question once posed to his father.
• 29:43
  Speaker 4: Adam, where are you?
• 29:47
  Speaker 3: God knew the answer. He was inviting Cain to dialogue
• 29:51
  Speaker 3: with him to acknowledge his mistake.
• 29:54
  Speaker 5: I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?
• 29:58
  Speaker 4: What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood
• 30:02
  Speaker 4: is crying to me from the earth.
• 30:05
  Speaker 3: God's voice struck Cain like lightning. Cain was no longer
• 30:09
  Speaker 3: pompous and irreverent. He fell to the floor and cowered
• 30:13
  Speaker 3: in fear. Cain felt the presence of God circling him
• 30:17
  Speaker 3: like a bird of prey. Cain thought he was cursed before.
• 30:21
  Speaker 3: He felt that God's ire was directed at him.
• 30:24
  Speaker 4: But it wasn't.
• 30:26
  Speaker 3: But now that the Creator's justice fell upon Cain, He
• 30:29
  Speaker 3: realized he was wrong. Woefully and terrifyingly wrong. The earth
• 30:35
  Speaker 3: vibrated as if sobbing over Abel.
• 30:38
  Speaker 4: The earth that has opened its mouth to receive your
• 30:41
  Speaker 4: brother's blood will be cursed because of you. The earth
• 30:46
  Speaker 4: will no longer give you its strength. You shall wander
• 30:50
  Speaker 4: this land hungry, starved, and deprived. You'll be a fugitive
• 30:57
  Speaker 4: wherever you go. Always turning your shoulders to see who's
• 31:01
  Speaker 4: hunting you.
• 31:02
  Speaker 5: Please, this punishment is too much for me. I don't
• 31:06
  Speaker 5: want anyone to kill me. You're taking away everything. I
• 31:10
  Speaker 5: can't run this earth with people wanting to kill me.
• 31:14
  Speaker 4: You dare to beg for your guilty life after having
• 31:18
  Speaker 4: taken an innocent one?
• 31:20
  Speaker 5: Please.
• 31:21
  Speaker 3: God's presence softened. A gentle wind blew in from the
• 31:25
  Speaker 3: top of the mountain down to the valley. Cain looked
• 31:29
  Speaker 3: up for the first time, his eyes watered with grief. Suddenly,
• 31:34
  Speaker 3: like a stream of water cutting through an arid desert,
• 31:38
  Speaker 3: he felt the grace of God upon him. Although his
• 31:42
  Speaker 3: punishment would be severe, mercy would follow him. Cain felt
• 31:47
  Speaker 3: a burning on his arm. He looked and saw an
• 31:51
  Speaker 3: engraving etched on his skin, a mark. It was a
• 31:55
  Speaker 3: symbol of God's judgment. but also a symbol of his mercy.
• 32:00
  Speaker 3: It was a reminder of his exile, but a warning
• 32:03
  Speaker 3: to anyone seeking to harm him. Although Cain was a
• 32:07
  Speaker 3: man doomed for punishment, providence also protected him. Such was
• 32:12
  Speaker 3: the state of humanity. Their sins marked them, but they
• 32:17
  Speaker 3: were also sealed by God, beloved, and chosen to be
• 32:22
  Speaker 3: heirs of his mercy. This Pray.com production is only made
• 32:28
  Speaker 3: possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
• 32:33
  Speaker 3: Max Bard, Zach Schellebarger, and Ben Gammon are the executive
• 32:37
  Speaker 3: producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters
• 32:41
  Speaker 3: are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan,
• 32:47
  Speaker 3: Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher, and
• 32:53
  Speaker 3: Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato,
• 32:58
  Speaker 3: Brie Rosely, and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey.com
• 33:02
  Speaker 3: productions on the Prey.com app, available on the Apple App
• 33:06
  Speaker 3: Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People,
• 33:09
  Speaker 3: please rate and leave a review.
• 33:11
  Speaker 2: This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.